[bosiemoncrieff]

Soundstage, if memory serves, is a toss-up. AKG is great but Shure is remarkable as well. In terms of clarity, I think the detail retrieval that the e-stat musters is head and shoulders above k3003i, lovely though AKG is. If I had to pick one thing the dynamic does better it's bass heft.

 

[Quadfather]

Soundstage, if memory serves, is a toss-up. AKG is great but Shure is remarkable as well. In terms of clarity, I think the detail retrieval that the e-stat musters is head and shoulders above k3003i, lovely though AKG is. If I had to pick one thing the dynamic does better it's bass heft.

Which Shure are you referring to? E-Stat...probably their newest IEM...

 

[plakat]

this, and the K3003i -- the most amazing earbuds I've ever heard.

Another pair I recently rebought... Using them a lot at the moment. Yes, they may be not the best (I own the ProPhile 8 and had the Oriolus, heard the Shure but found them too inflexible given that they need their own amp), but I just like them. Even have a sealed spare set in case anyone is interested.

The K3003 has nice clarity without the slight tendency to harshness the K812 sometimes exhibits. Both have an unusual amount of bass for a high-end AKG model

 

[FritzS]

With well done recordings, I could not found any harshness with K812

Now I listen with best choice and no harshness:
Hilliard Ensemble & Jan Garbarek - Officium
Jan Garbarek, Hilliard Ensemble
Vokalwerke des 13.-16.Jh. von Morales, De la Rue, Perotin, Dufay & anonymen Meistern. Mit Saxophon-Improvisationen von Jan Garbarek über den Vokalsätzen.
Künstler: Jan Garbarek, Hilliard Ensemble
Label: ECM, DDD, 1993 - ECM New Series ‎– 445 369-2
https://www.discogs.com/de/Jan-Garbarek-The-Hilliard-Ensemble-Officium/release/8876022
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Hilliard-Ensemble-Jan-Garbarek-Officium/hnum/7162716

 

[ChisChas]

Two and a half years on I'm still loving my K812's, was at the Indulgence Show on Friday and bought a new DAP, the Questyle QP2R to replace my trusty but somewhat oversafe sounding Plenue 1. The QP2R sounded brilliant with the K812's, a real boost in source quality, can't wait till I pick it up from Audio Sanctuary next week. Well done them for organising this show, I live 15 mins away so it's kinda convenient! I also had an extended listen to the Focal Utopia's which were a big leg up from the K812's but guess what, so is the price.........As I type this I'm listening on Spotify Free to the new album by The Horrors 'V', really recommend track 2 'Press Enter To Exit' for its brilliant drumming. Will be buying this CD and sticking on the Questyle QP2R but right now I'm using an Audioquest DF Red + Jitterbug. I also own K702 65th Annis, K550, HD600's & Grado RS2i's.

 

[Tiddlesworth]

Utopia isn't as airy as K812 though, but the bass is better for sure.

 

[Quadfather]

Utopia isn't as airy as K812 though, but the bass is better for sure.

I find the bass on the K812 just right. Lotoo Paw Gold Diana's PMEQ user custom settings have enabled a sweet spot on the K812s.

 

[ChisChas]

I find the bass on the K812 just right. Lotoo Paw Gold Diana's PMEQ user custom settings have enabled a sweet spot on the K812s.

I don't use EQ but I'm happy with the K812 bass, seems to produce a little more than the Utopia. I only had a limited amount of music on my SD card and I wasn't too impressed with the little music on the memory of the dem QP2R at the show, Hotel California or Yellow Brick Road, anyone? Yes, fine albums in their day but I really don't want to hear Hotel California again. With the limited amount of my own music available, I discovered that the Utopia's suffered from a treble/upper treble lift and didn't enjoy some of my albums because of this. I read a couple of reviews and watched Currawong's YouTube review and basically they experienced what I did at the show. All very well to have an incredibly revealing HP but if they expose every little flaw in your recordings then the listening experience becomes fatiguing (as it did for me on Friday).

At £3,500, I want near perfection and I don't think the Utopia's provide this throughout the tonal range imho. And I have old ears, most younger ears might well find the treble/upper treble harshness worse?

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Why not try LCD-4?

 

[MozartMan1201]

At £3,500, I want near perfection and I don't think the Utopia's provide this throughout the tonal range imho. And I have old ears, most younger ears might well find the treble/upper treble harshness worse?

I did not detect such faults during my two extended sessions with the Utopia (and the $100,000 gold version). My conclusion in a nutshell was that, for my particular music genre (classical/opera), Utopia combines the best of HD800S (orchestral/choral) and K812 (vocal/chamber/opera) into one satisfying package.

I also auditioned the LCD-4 at the Questyle booth and was pretty underwhelmed (probably a bad idea to do so after having just auditioned the Utopia). I struggled to hear the difference between it and the LCD-3 (my favorite Audeze) but couldn't. Even the Questyle rep said it's not worth $4k.

2017 CanJam L.A.

LCD-4 at Questyle booth @2016 Source AV

 

[Quadfather]

I did not detect such faults during my two extended sessions with the Utopia (and the $100,000 gold version). My conclusion in a nutshell was that, for my particular music genre (classical/opera), Utopia combines the best of HD800S (orchestral/choral) and K812 (vocal/chamber/opera) into one satisfying package.

I also auditioned the LCD-4 at the Questyle booth and was pretty underwhelmed (probably a bad idea to do so after having just auditioned the Utopia). I struggled to hear the difference between it and the LCD-3 (my favorite Audeze) but couldn't. Even the Questyle rep said it's not worth $4k.

2017 CanJam L.A.

LCD-4 at Questyle booth @2016 Source AV

I have a variety of pricey headphones and earphones. $100,000 for Gold Utopias?! At what price point does this hobby go from the pursuit of sound perfection to a penis extension? Sorry ladies...you can substitute breast augmentation in this case...

 

[MozartMan1201]

$100,000 for Gold Utopias?! At what price point does this hobby go from the pursuit of sound perfection to a penis extension? Sorry ladies...you can substitute breast augmentation in this case...

I was told by the Focal rep they already sold one to.... China (its intended market).
Me: "Any difference in sound quality?"
Focal rep (chuckles): "Absolutely not"

 

[Quadfather]

I was told by the Focal rep they already sold one to.... China (its intended market).
Me: "Any difference in sound quality?"
Focal rep (chuckles): "Absolutely not"

That is not an attractive headphone. It looks gaudy. The buyer has more money than brains. The wide array of audio equipment that $100,000 would buy is staggering.

 

[ChisChas]

I did not detect such faults during my two extended sessions with the Utopia (and the $100,000 gold version). My conclusion in a nutshell was that, for my particular music genre (classical/opera), Utopia combines the best of HD800S (orchestral/choral) and K812 (vocal/chamber/opera) into one satisfying package.

I also auditioned the LCD-4 at the Questyle booth and was pretty underwhelmed (probably a bad idea to do so after having just auditioned the Utopia). I struggled to hear the difference between it and the LCD-3 (my favorite Audeze) but couldn't.

I listen to rock/prog rock/pop rock/ pop/folk and I experienced the same upper treble harshness on SOME albums as experienced by Currawong in his YouTube review of the Utopia's and mentioned by some owners on this forum. Not saying it's necessarily the HP's fault but owning 3 pairs of £2,000 - £3,500 HP's to accommodate different genres & recording styles is not what I want (on top of a reasonably significant main hi-fi system). When the Utopia's over revealing nature on 'some music' means you have to remember which music you listen to with which of your 3 TOTL HP's, I kinda feel a loss of enthusiasm. Others will no doubt relish the opportunity to swop TOTL HP's regularly, perhaps I'm being dull!

And as an owner for 2.5 years fo K812's, I am prepared to pay x 3 times for Utopia's but not if their qualities screw up 25% of my music. I'd rather keep the £3,500 and continue to live with my K812's which whilst not perfect, aren't a problem for my music listening. I collect my new Questyle QP2R DAP on Thursday or Friday morning (listened to at Friday's Indulgence Show in London) and it enhanced my K812's (over the too safe/soft Plenue 1). This morning I spent 2 hours listening to Pixie Geldof, Pumarosa, UB40, Susanne Sundfor (the new album, don't like her synth pop stuff), UB40 & The War On Drugs (new album is fantastic) using my MSI i7/3K laptop and a £165 DF Red + Jitterbug and it was a great experience. Looking to upgrade the DF Red and will be auditioning the Chord H2 and one or two others in the £1,500 - £2,000 for desktop study/laptop use but the Chord H2 is 11 x more expensive than the DF Red (diminishing returns features highly in hi-fi for sure).

But I will be borrowing the Utopia's for a 5 day midweek home audition and then I will decide whether I will be spending 3.5 x the cost of my K812's on another TOTL HP.

 

[ChisChas]

That is not an attractive headphone. It looks gaudy. The buyer has more money than brains. The wide array of audio equipment that $100,000 would buy is staggering.

Being very low key and non-blingy, I kinda like their blingyness, does that make sense? It's his or her money and spending it rather than hoarding it can only be a good thing, hopefully they are also bunging a £/$ or two to charitable causes . PS: just ordered my new Questyle QP2R in gold as I thought it looked so much more fun than the respectable and staid silver one but if it blinds me on bright days, I also ordered a black case.

And Lewis Hamilton of F1 fame is far blingier (and richer) than I am but again, I like seeing him with his gold chains and diamond earrings etc (just don't ever expect me to look like that). Sorry, I'm getting wildly off topic here.